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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

1 Kings 20:10

Ben Hadad sent another message to him, "May the gods judge me severely if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Boasting;   Presumption;   Thompson Chain Reference - Benhadad;   Boasters;   Humility-Pride;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Samaria, Ancient;   Syria;   Trust;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Samaria;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ben-hadad;   Samaria, samaritans;   Syria;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Idol, Idolatry;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Samaria;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ahab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ben-Hadad;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ben-Hadad;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Benhadad ;   Samaria ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Samaria;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'hab;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Handful;   Hollow;   Samaria, City of;   Text of the Old Testament;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Benhadad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if Samaria’s dust amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me.”
Hebrew Names Version
Ben-Hadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Shomron shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.
King James Version
And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
English Standard Version
Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."
New Century Version
Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: "May the gods punish me terribly if I don't completely destroy Samaria. There won't be enough left for each of my men to get a handful of dust!"
Amplified Bible
Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, "May the gods do so to me, and more also, if there is enough dust left of Samaria for handfuls for all the [armed] people who follow me."
New American Standard Bible
Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, "May the gods do so to me and more so, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ben-hadad sent vnto him, and sayde, The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria be ynough to all the people that follow me, for euery man an handfull.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be sufficient for a handful for all the people who follow me."
Contemporary English Version
he replied, "I'll completely destroy Samaria! There won't even be enough of it left for my soldiers to carry back in their hands. If I don't do it, I pray that the gods will punish me terribly."
Complete Jewish Bible
Ben-Hadad then sent this message to him: "May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones as well if there's enough dust in Shomron to give each of my followers a handful!"
Darby Translation
And Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me!
Easy-to-Read Version
Then they came back with another message from Ben-Hadad that said, "I will completely destroy Samaria. I promise that there will be nothing left of that city! There will not be enough of that city left for my men to find any souvenirs to take home. May the gods destroy me if I don't do this!"
George Lamsa Translation
And Bar-hadad sent to him and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria in handfuls shall suffice for all the people who are with me.
Good News Translation
from Benhadad: "I will bring enough men to destroy this city of yours and carry off the rubble in their hands. May the gods strike me dead if I don't!"
Lexham English Bible
Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, "Thus may the gods do to me and thus may they add if the dust of Samaria is sufficient for the hollow of a hand for all of the people who are at my feet."
Literal Translation
And Ben-hadad sent to him, and said, So shall the gods do to me and more also if the dust of Samaria shall be enough for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The sent Benadab vnto him sayege: The goddes do this and yt vnto me, yf the dust of Samaria shalbe ynough, for euery one of my people to brynge me an handfull therof.
American Standard Version
And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
Bible in Basic English
Then Ben-hadad sent to him, saying, May the gods' punishment be on me if there is enough of the dust of Samaria for all the people at my feet to take some in their hands.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Benhadad sent vnto him againe, and sayde: Thus and thus do the gods vnto me, if the dust of Samaria be enough for al the people that folowe me, to take euery man an handfull.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said: 'The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.'
King James Version (1611)
And Benhadad sent vnto him, and said, The gods doe so vnto me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And set two men, sons of transgressors, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, He blessed God and the king: and let them lead him forth, and stone him, and let them die.
English Revised Version
And Ben–hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: "May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the messangeris turneden ayen, and telden alle thingis to hym. Which sente ayen, and seide, Goddis do these thingis to me, and adde these thingis, if the dust of Samarie schal suffice to the fistis of al the puple that sueth me.
Young's Literal Translation
And Ben-Hadad sendeth unto him, and saith, `Thus do the gods to me, and thus do they add, if the dust of Samaria suffice for handfuls for all the people who [are] at my feet.'
Update Bible Version
And Ben-hadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Ben-hadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
World English Bible
Ben-hadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.
New King James Version
Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me."
New Living Translation
Then Ben-hadad sent this message to Ahab: "May the gods strike me and even kill me if there remains enough dust from Samaria to provide even a handful for each of my soldiers."
New Life Bible
Ben-hadad sent word to him saying, "May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough to fill the hands of all the people who follow me."
New Revised Standard
Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will provide a handful for each of the people who follow me."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Ben-hadad sent unto him and said, - So, let the gods do to me, and, so, let them add, - if the dust of Samaria suffice by handfuls, for all the people who are at my feet.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the messengers returning brought him word. And he sent again, and said: Such and such things may the gods do to me, and more may they add, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
Revised Standard Version
Ben-ha'dad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Sama'ria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."
THE MESSAGE
Ben-Hadad shot back his response: "May the gods do their worst to me, and then worse again, if there'll be anything left of Samaria but rubble."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."

Contextual Overview

1 Now King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled all his army, along with thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria and besieged and attacked it. 2 He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel, who was in the city. 3 He said to him, "This is what Ben Hadad says, ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, as well as the best of your wives and sons.'" 4 The king of Israel replied, "It is just as you say, my master, O king. I and all I own belong to you." 5 The messengers came again and said, "This is what Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent this message to you, "You must give me your silver, gold, wives, and sons." 6 But now at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you and they will search through your palace and your servants' houses. They will carry away all your valuables." 7 The king of Israel summoned all the leaders of the land and said, "Notice how this man is looking for trouble. Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him." 8 All the leaders and people said to him, "Do not give in or agree to his demands." 9 So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, "Say this to my master, the king, ‘I will give you everything you demanded at first from your servant, but I am unable to agree to this latest demand.'" So the messengers went back and gave their report. 10 Ben Hadad sent another message to him, "May the gods judge me severely if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The gods: 1 Kings 19:2, Acts 23:12

if the dust: 2 Samuel 17:12, 2 Samuel 17:13, 2 Kings 19:23, 2 Kings 19:24, Isaiah 10:13, Isaiah 10:14, Isaiah 37:24, Isaiah 37:25

follow me: Heb. are at my feet, Exodus 11:8, *marg. Judges 4:10

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:9 - I will pursue Judges 15:4 - caught three Ruth 1:17 - the lord 1 Samuel 17:44 - Come to me 1 Samuel 20:13 - The Lord do 2 Samuel 17:11 - as the sand 1 Kings 2:23 - God 1 Kings 20:30 - fled 2 Kings 18:23 - I will deliver Nehemiah 4:3 - Tobiah Psalms 10:5 - he puffeth Psalms 33:16 - no king Proverbs 14:16 - the fool Isaiah 36:8 - and I Jeremiah 9:23 - neither Jeremiah 46:17 - Pharaoh Daniel 3:19 - he spake 1 Corinthians 13:4 - vaunteth not itself

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said,.... That is, to Ahab:

the gods do so unto me, and more also; bring greater evils upon me than I can think or express:

if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me, signifying that he made no doubt of it of reducing it to dust by numbers of men he should bring with him, which would be so many, that if each was to take an handful of dust of the ruins of Samaria, there would not enough for them all; which was an hectoring and parabolical speech, uttered in his wrath and fury.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls ... - In its general sense this phrase is undoubtedly a boast that the number of Ben-hadad’s troops was such as to make resistance vain and foolish. We may parallel it with the saying of the Trachinian at Thermopylae, that the Persian arrows would darken the light of the sun. Probably the exact meaning is, “When your town is reduced to ruins, as it will be if you resist, the entire heap will not suffice to furnish a handful of dust to each soldier of my army, so many are they.” There was a threat in the message as well as a boast.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 20:10. If the dust of Samaria shall suffice — This is variously understood. Jonathan translates thus: "If the dust of Shomeron shall be sufficient for the soles of the feet of the people that shall accompany me;" i.e., I shall bring such an army that there will scarcely be room for them to stand in Samaria and its vicinity.


 
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